After closing the year with “Going Home To Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical,” which had 18 jampacked shows at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza in Makati City, Repertory Philippines will open its 88th season with a restaging of the hit Off-Broadway musical comedy, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” at the new Repertory Eastwood Theater in February next year.
“A labor of love and collaborative work, I am so happy that ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change’ will get a repeat performance,” Director Menchu Launchengco-Yulo told GMA News Online.
Jeremy Domingo, Rep’s artistic director, announced the news during the final curtain call of “Going Home To Christmas,” last December 15, with two original cast members of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” Marvin Ong and Krystal Cane performing an excerpt titled “Keep Comin’ Back/I Love You You’re Perfect, Now Change reprise.”
The were joined in by the swings Davy Narciso and Barbara Jance because the other two original cast members Gian Magdangal and Gabby Padilla had prior commitments that night.
Considered the longest-running off-Broadway musical revue with tours to 250 cities worldwide, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is a musical comedy that was first staged at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater from June 14 to July 6 this year, under the direction of Lauchengco-Yulo with musical direction by Ejay Yatco.
The Manila staging of “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” has the original book and lyrics by Joe Di Pietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. It is a series of vignettes on love and relationships with topics and situations that people “were too afraid to confront and admit.”
The rib-tickling musical opens on Valentine’s Day, February 14 and will run until March 9, 2025.
Domingo told GMA News Online it would be a “perfect celebration for the love month.”
While he can’t divulge yet the other plays and musicals in the 2025 lineup and they “still have outreach and satellite tours in universities and colleges,” Domingo said most of Rep’s productions for the 88th season will be staged at the Eastwood Theater.
Rep’s new Eastwood Theater can seat 500 audience members. It was inaugurated as a performance venue with the children’s musical titled “Jepoy and the Magic Circle,” early October this year.
Adapted by Rody Vera from a Gilda Cordero-Fernando children’s book titled “Magic Circle,” the play is directed by Rep stalwart Joy Virata, with musical direction by Ejay Yatco, and runs until February 2, 2025.
Yatco told GMA News Online: “Just so happy and grateful that musical theater is so alive and booming. ‘Jepoy And The Magic Circle’ is so close to my heart as a fully original musical and is a beautiful story for the family. ‘I Love You You’re Perfect’ is a lighthearted fun time especially for couples perfect for Valentine’s.”
— LA, GMA Integrated News
